Sunday, January 30, 2011

Here she is! I love this jacket, true, it's a no frills design but the shape and collar make it very wearable. I love the buttons, 1950's vintage pearl buttons by BlueBonnet. They came from my best girlfriends mom's sewing box, thanks Blanche! The Simflex gauge is a big help for spacing buttons, this part of the garment is always a bit troublesome for me, but with my trusty tool it's so much easier. The pattern instructions are a bit trying as we have to skip around the pages to get this done. I used Judy Barlup's Japanese Tailoring video to help me along the process and just put those instructions away. I'll make this one again.

Here's a quick look at the unpressed jacket, this is view C, it goes together like a dream. I think this is the first project where I didn't rip more than an inch. Fabric is wool and spandex from B.Black and Sons, completely interfaced with fusible tricot, lined in a stretch silk. I'm doing four buttons instead of the little ties the pattern suggest. It has a great cut and even looks nice when unbuttoned.

I'm finally taking the plunge, blogging about my sewing adventure. I started back sewing after a 20 year hiatus. I lost interest because of my lack of skill and knowledge; attacking a pattern by the instructions with total faith that it would turn out fine, it didn't. This time I've taken classes, read books, watched dvd's and immersed myself in the process. Guess what? I've made two or three things that I love and they fit! I've actually sewn about 25 garments over the past three years and even made a quilt. Finally I'm making some progress and gaining an understanding of what this fitting/sewing thing is all about. I'm hoping that this blog will get me sewing more consistently as I've been on a bit of a slump, but, I'm almost finished with Simplicity 4081- I'll be posting some photos very soon. Stay tuned.

About Me

I love the art of dressmaking and tailoring and am constantly looking for resources to learn new techniques while mastering old ones. My favorite book is Tailoring by Adele P. Margolis, it taught me about the concept of creating a garment which was necessary for me to learn before I could truly understand the "why" of it all. I enjoy making clothes, especially fitted jackets.